Stacking device for chips or counters



Dec 16, 1924.

L/WENTES v STACKING DEVICE FOR CHIPS OR COUNTERS Filed Nv. 25, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .4 ATTORNEY Dec. 1924- I 1,519,389

L. WENTES STACKING DEVICE FOR CHI PS OR COUNTERS Filed Nov. 25 1922 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l mllllllllllllllllllllllllll l HIII w Will/T01? A 0 u is Wei/fies ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES LOUIS wnn'rns, or PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA.

s'mcxme nnv'rcn FQR cmrson coun'rrns.

Application filed November 25 1922. Serial No. 603,292.

To all whom it may concern:

fie it known that I,'LoUIs WENTES, a citize'fipf the United'States, and a resident of theiity of Philadel hia, county of Philadelphia, State of ennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Stacking Devices for Chips or Counters, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects of the prment invention are to provide a device for holding stacked chips or counters such as used in card games or for other purposes; to provide a container for stacking chips or count-v ers and holding a complete card playing outfit; to provide means for retaining stacks of chips or counters so that .the stack cannot be upset or displaced; to provide means in the form of a container for chips, cards and ash trays; to provide a combination ash tray and retainer for stacks of chips; to provide means for saving and preventing loss of chips during the progress of a game in which the chips are used, and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear. I

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a top plan of one form of the present invention with the cover removed; Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 with .the cover in place; Fig. 3 represents a detail in perspective of an ash tray forming a part of the invention; Fig. 4 representsa plan of another form of ash tray construction; and Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of the form of Fig. 4:.

the provided Referring to the drawings,

resent invention comprises a base 10 with a cover 11, and means for securing the cover 11 to the base 10 including a rigid fixed standard 12' provided with a threaded end 13, which is arranged to project through an opening 14 in the cover 11 and be engaged by a locking device in the form of a knob 15. In the preferred form the base 10 is of circular contour and has a circumferential flange 16, which is arranged to receive a corresponding flange or shoulder 17 formed on the lower portion of the cover- 11. The cover 11 is of a generally inverted cup shape, pro; vidin portion of sufiiclent dimensions to. fit over and enclose the articles supported upon the base 10. In the present instance the base rt for chi s 18,

10 is arranged as a sup cards 21. t will ash trays 20, and packs 0 one form of an internal hollow be noted that the standard .12 is axially located with respect to the base 10 so that there is a circumferential space adjacent thereto for the purpose of receiving suitably shaped ash trays anddecks of cards.

For the purpose of supporting the chips 18, the base 10 is provided with a plurality of spaced and circumferentially located upstanding pins 22, which have a diameter sufficiently less openings 23 in therespective chips 18,

whereby the latter can be readily slipped over and placed upon the aforesaid pins 22.

As a means for preventing loss of chips during the progress of the game, the afore said ash trays 20 are each provided with a plurality of threaded openings 2A to receive respectively the threaded ends of the chip holding pins 25, which pins serve the same purpose as that described for the pins 22, namely, to pass through the chips 18 and hold them in uniform stacked condition. The pins 25 are removably secured to the ash trays 20, so that when the game is finished and the chips and cards are to be stored upon the base 10, these pins 25 can be removed and with the ash trays also placed upon the base 10 beneath the cover 11.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that a. complete unitary receptacle for chips, cards, ash trays and other adjuncts of a card game may be conveniently stored in a container which retains the chips in stacked condition and conceals the entire outfit from view. It will be understood that after the chips, trays and cards are placed upon the base 10, the cover is superposed upon the base 10 in proper'relation so that the standard 12 protrudes through the cover in order that the knob 15 can be screwed on and hold the parts in assembled condition.

In Figs. 4 and 5 another form of ash tray construction is shown, wherein a base member 30 is provided having a plurality of substantially cylindrical receptacles formed by upstanding strips 31, 32 and 33, each set of such strips forming one receptacle of a shape conforming to the contour of counters or chips used for card or other games. The strips forming the respective receptacles are so spaced apart that ready access can be had to grasp the stack of chips and remove such as are desired for any stage of the game. A base marginal flange 34 is provided to form an, enclosed tray *portion 35 between the chip receptacles, and this flange than the centrally disposedfollows the rear portidn of each receptacle to space the stack of chips from the tray portion and also to leave an opening at the front of each receptacle so that all of the chips can be readily lifted to remove them as required. One portion of the flange is preferably concaved to form a seat for a cigar '01- the like, and adjacent thereto is a support 36' to properly support the inner end of the cigar. The upperedge of this support 36 is relatively sharp so that ashes may be scraped off in the usual manner. The foregoing construction serves to retain the usual type of chips in stacked relation, and also can be used for the chips shown in the other ,form of the invention if desired.

The Y operation of the device should be understood without further detailed explanation, and it will be evident that the annoyanceof chips dropping upon the floor or being upset upon the table is entirely avoided, and furthermore there is more space upon the playing surface of. the table because the players stacks of chips and his ash tray are combined in one and are directly in front of him upon the table in one place instead of as heretofore being separated and in the way. Generically the invention com-. prehends any means for stacking chips against displacement, though specifically the provision of chips having a central opening therethrough is an important feature because thereby any and all chips mounted upon the pins can only be removed in one direction, namely by lifting them vertically from the pins.

While but two forms are shown in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limitedto any specific construction but might be applied in various. forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim. 7 Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim: 1

- A chip stacking-- device, comprising in combination a base, means for stacking a plurality of stacks of chips on said base to prevent displacement of individual chips or stacks of chips, an ash tray, means removably secured to said ash tray for holding stacks of chips against displacement, and cover means" for said base arranged to enclose said stacking means and said tray in disassembled condition.

Signed at Philadelphia, Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 9th day of- November, 1922;

' LOUIS WENTES. 

